The Trainspotter's Notebook

by Francis Bourgeois

'The anticipation of a train coming by or finding the next spot to watch a loco coming along the tracks is a time of complete focus for me, disconnecting from the rush and busyness of life. Those moments are the best fun I've ever had. In those moments, I feel completely at one with myself, and I want to share that feeling.'

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the railway as the world's most famous trainspotter and TikTok sensation Francis Bourgeois, takes you on an epic journey and shows you the joy of following your own passions.

Sharing his love for trains, Francis takes us along on his most memorable trainspotting adventures. Traversing the fields and footbridges of the British countryside, passing through grandiose ticket halls, historic terminals and backwater stations, we chase locomotive perfection. Along the way we come to appreciate the majesty of trains and the true pleasure of trainspotting.

At times funny and heart-warming, meditative and reflective, and always joyous, The Trainspotter's Notebook is an ode to the places and people of the railway from the internet's most beloved trainspotter.

Full steam ahead!

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

325 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2022

Reviews

[ems · Rating 5 out of 5]

i thoroughly enjoyed this book; it was both a pleasure & learning experience on every page. francis has such a way with words & definitely expanded my vocabulary as i progressed more into it. i learnt so much about the railway including history & that was a bonus for me - it taught me things that even i did not know & take notice of & i consider myself an enthusiast. a must read!

[Thom Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hellfire! My life will be forever changed since my eyes are now totally open to the tones and thrushing of magnificent beasts like 78456 Dick Mabutt.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

His passion is truly infectious and he’s done an excellent job translating that to the page.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version and Francis' enthusiasm shone through. His passion for all things locomotive is infectious and each chapter never fails to put a smile on your face.

[Joseph Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple and honest and warm and lovely

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never heard of Francis but a quick scan of the book showing visits to stations for spotting and the sketches sold it. Though reading of 2 million tik tok followers flashed a warning and the shots of him looking like ET, what is all that?

Most of it is a great read so similar to my time in the early 1960s as a young teen.

Now retired, I discovered the diesel bashers at heritage railways without realising it's a cult until reading this. They're all younger than me though, but I instinctively knew about the thrash even if I didn't know the name.

That yellow train, I now know why people chase it round the area though I've always laughed when I post an instant shot and read people say they're setting off to see it.

It's a good book to capture these scenes and learn Francis's niggling doubts about things and his double image.

One word he doesn't use is 'copping' or is it 'kopping' which was to spot a loco for the first time. We'd get hundreds of steam trains on a summer Saturday all going to Blackpool from all regions. We'd travel sometimes but more often we'd sit by the track all day. Copping got more and more difficult and was a measure of a day.

So yes this would be a neat Christmas present. I need to decide if it becomes a reference to bore guests with memories or send it to the charity shop.

[Artur Coelho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um daqueles caso de "a culpa de ter pegado neste livro foi do TikTok". Desta vez, não através das recomendações booktok, mas porque os vídeos deste amante dos comboios têm-me chegado à fyp, e encantam-me pelo notório amor pelas viaturas ferroviárias, a candura e inocência com que nos transmite o seu enorme entusiasmo.

O livro faz-se de relatos de experiências de trainspotting, detalhando algumas aventuras e o deslumbre quando se deparam com os veículos mais icónicos. É um livro marcadamente pessoal, algo ingénuo na forte candura. Da leitura das aventuras e desventuras de Bourgeois, saímos sempre com um sorriso, tal como o fazemos com os seus vídeos. Este não será um grande livro, leitura incontornável, mas dá-nos um vislumbre do mundo do trainspottinge, fascinante se se fizer parte desta comunidade. Mas para todos os leitores, fica o encanto com essa rara qualidade nestes dias que é o entusiasmo honesto de um autor.

[George Fowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ [Audiobook] This was a really comforting. I'm not into to trains so I used this book to zone out to when walking the dogs during the train information parts. What I did LOVE was Francis' stories and how he developed his love for trains. I found them so wholesome and I enjoyed hearing the passion and the love in his voice for what he does. I especially enjoyed his discussions about his content, how that is viewed by other trainspotters, and how its changed the way they interact with him. My heart in the last remarks of the book 🥺 I also appreciated the audio clips of the different trains and his reactions to him. Overall a really wholesome listen even when the train terminology was washing over me.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Not my usual genre and if honest I had never heard of Francis - however it had a few things in its favour….was on 99p Kindle deals, I am already a bit of a plane spotter (keep that quiet) and I was curious to find out a bit more about trains seeing as my local station Huddersfield has the most cancellations in the UK.
One thing I have learned; is that everybody else I have mentioned this book to has heard of Francis, as he is massive on You Tube.
Francis’s passion and excitement shines through - which makes it an easy read. I skimmed the bits which went into too much detail - but on the whole I enjoyed it!

[Julian Hartnoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by the TikTok star this is somewhere between a diary and an explanation. He has succeeded in translating the excitement he creates in his videos to the page. That is quite an achievement. Added to his beautiful descriptive prose the book is a delight. There is quite a lot of technical detail which is clearly there for the true train spotter; to help the novice there is a useful glossary of the jargon of the train spotter. His charm and politeness are clear as well as his open emotion.

[Leyland Atlantean · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a bus enthusiast I much enjoyed.
Yes it describes trainspotting stereotypes (those that give the hobby its bad name) but is also an honest account of why trains "turn him on". Not often it is put into words.
Francis is an articulate and intelligent young man.

Not really for someone who has no clue or interest in transport or transport spotting.
Otherwise a damn good "thrash" (read book for explanation)

[Chris Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure where Francis the character ends and Francis the person begins, but it doesn’t really matter. This is a joy-filled love letter to the railways, their raw mechanical power, the thrill they bring, and the community they create. It’s more than that though; it’s a manifesto for throwing off the shackles of cool disdain and just doing what feels right.

[Matthew Culley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that tells you something about trains something about Francis. It explains his passion for trains and his style of video. For the doubters, Francis is highly knowledgeable (he is also a mechanical engineering graduate). He also appears a sensitive and caring person. Recommended.

[Thomas Cockram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful and joyful read. Most of the train details went over my head but that did not matter as I was reading it to get a look at why Francis does what he does and I had that answered for me! It was cool at the end of each chapter to find the video that connected with it and have a deeper dive into his mind.

[Tilly Austen · Rating 4 out of 5]

francis is such a sweetpea and i loved reading about trains and his enthusiasm and positivity really shines through bless him !!! learnt a lot about trains and trainspotting fr and it HIT reading on a long train journey and really makes me want to take more train journeys??? perhaps a steam train or an overnighter methinks !!??

[Amy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved train journeys but never fully understood the fascination with trainspotting, however Francis (AKA. Luke) had opened my eyes to how beautiful and magestic trains are. Great book filled with knowledge for both newcomers and experts, as well as great tales of travelling around the UK.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hi I really enjoyed this book. Francis is an interesting character, I enjoyed his videos a lot and I think I would’ve enjoyed the book more if I was more interested in trains. Still a fun book and great to feel someone’s excitement about their real passions.

[Luca Jalisco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Francis Bourgeois offers an inviting glimpse into his world, embodying the spirit and joy of rail enthusiasm. It's not a world in which I am invested, so I was not so enthusiastic as the book went on, but I respect him following and sharing his passion.

[Fiona Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written account of the joys of being a train enthusiast.

A celebration of how important it is to follow your passions in life. I hadn’t quit realised before how trains are a feast for all the senses and this will enrich my train trips in the future.

[Sanjay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. Trainspotters like myself would love reading this book

[George Foord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much reading over Christmas. The description of the trains was great for a non trainspotter, I also enjoyed reading about Francis's life.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francis' book is just as packed with infectious enthusiasm as his videos are, and crammed with inspiration and ideas for trainspotting outings.

[Steely Dean]

lighthearted phenomenonology-oriented descriptions of joy

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's enthusiasm comes across on every page

[Leonard Entwistle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for anyone interested in railways. Easy to read and very informative.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francis is the most sincere & joyful soul sharing his passion of trains with the world. Love him!!

[Donald Pryde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have seen Francis on Tik Tok and his enthusiasm is strange/funny.
His terminology of trainspotting is a little off

[PAUL · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sheer joy that this hobby brings to this lad is truly heart warming.
I didn't think that this book would be for me, but Francis's passion, along with his mate, Ryan, made it an enjoyable read.

[Tira Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly the most wholesome book I’ve ever read

[Nev Px · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're rail nerd then you will probably enjoy this, as someone that enjoys trains I liked it but I'm not as nerdy so found it a little difficult to enjoy at times